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Summary of "recent" changes on RCI

moopetguy

By moopetguy,
in Royal Caribbean International

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TexasPirate

TexasPirate

Posted
Posted
AND that "new" menu just celebrated it's one year anniversary:)

 

 

I was wondering about that.... I was on Oasis in July of last year when they were "according to our server" rolling out a new menu..... Of the 6 or so cruises I have ever taken it was the absolute worst food ever. The only example that I have off the top of my head was a very specific dessert. On the Oasis they have TV's advertising the menu items (and maybe other things) Anyway, early in the cruise I noticed Beignets on the TV near our table. They looked fantastic and I couldn't wait for them to show up on a menu. After several days of "meh" food in main dining room the Beignets showed up on the dessert menu. Now, to be clear, I was already very disappointed in the food for that trip but I was ready to forgive and forget. However, when the beignets showed up.... all I could do was laugh. It was truly unbelievable! Instead of nice puffy rectangle beignets dusted in powdered sugar they literally look like french toast sticks you give to 2 year olds. They were awful.

 

The food was bad enough that I went ahead and added the 5 night dining package to our Liberty of the Seas cruise in October of last year just to avoid the main dining room as much as possible. On the Liberty we did end up eating in the main dining room a couple of time and it was fantastic.

My daughters are currently on the Liberty (with their grandparents) and their food reports are that the food is great.

 

So count me as one who's probably glad the Oasis menu hasn't spread across the fleet.

 

(Too many typos this morning - sorry)

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TexasPirate

TexasPirate

Posted
Posted
Some may want some variety with their awful meal.

 

Yep - That's fare... It just stuck with me how disappointed I was with the food on that trip and that our server kept talking about the new menu.

 

Of course maybe I'm just acting a bit bitter because my kids are on a cruise right now.... and I'm not!

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moopetguy

moopetguy

Posted
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Yes, most reported the wings being good.

 

I did 10 or 11 on Serenade. They were tasty, but we weren't sure which was which. Went for one of each

 

Are the wings breaded and fried, then sauced? I don't suppose anyone has any pictures? I like food porn :D Really looking forward to trying them when I'm on Navigator in about 3 months' time...

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nyllrap

nyllrap

Posted
Posted

To tell the truth, none of the changes bother me. We are simple cruisers. We have never used room service, don't buy drink packages, have always gone on the cruises we booked so the nonrefundable deposit doesn't concern me. I don't really care about the corkage fee, as I will just carry a glass of wine from my carry on bottle. And soon we will be Diamond status, so that will provide me with drinks as well. We are fine with the food and entertainment. I mostly just love being on the sea, and Royal seems to work for us. However, when we turn Diamond (need just 8 more nights, with a Sept. 3 seven night cruise coming up) I may try Celebrity, Azamara, or MSC, as they match status.

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molly361

molly361

Posted
Posted
Yep - That's fare... It just stuck with me how disappointed I was with the food on that trip and that our server kept talking about the new menu.

 

Of course maybe I'm just acting a bit bitter because my kids are on a cruise right now.... and I'm not!

 

I enjoyed the Oasis menu and food

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Goodtime Cruizin

Goodtime Cruizin

Posted
Posted
I don't think they are all negative at all.

 

1. I LOVE the non refundable suite deposits. So many people ( which is why they started this new policy) hog all the suites across many sailings the second they are released. These people have no intention of taking all these cruises.. They are just selfish. So ultimately, for those of us that want those sailings, they are either not available or they get released right before final payment and the prices can and typically are much higher. So... as being a person that books only suites. I love this and am happy to pay the fee.

 

2. Although, it has not been confirmed about he 7.95 room service charge for us sailings yet ( at least I don't think so). I also really like this idea. Half the time room service does not answer, or it takes a very long time because , since it's free, people order way more then they want, need or can eat, then you just see plates full of food thrown away piled up in the hallway. So, I have no issue with a small charge for room service. )but for those "cruise ship campers" that bring on cases of soda, water and god knows what else because they really cant afford the cruise) I can see why they might be upset.

 

Excellent Point. In my books... these are definitely two positives.

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SRF

SRF

Posted
Posted

You can still have just one person in a cabin buy a drink package on most sailings. IIRC, they are rolling out all in a cabin must purchase in September on some ships.

 

From RCCL FAQ pages (bolding in answer is mine):

 

 

Can I order multiple drinks at a time with Royal Caribbean's all-inclusive beverage packages?

 

A

 

No. As this is a personal package, only one beverage per guest will be served.

No, packages can be purchased by individual guests. All packages are for single guest use and cannot be shared by multiple people.

On select sailings certain beverage packages, like our Deluxe Beverage Package, may require all guests of legal drinking age (21 years and older) in the same stateroom to purchase a package.

 

 

 

 

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wolfmtn

wolfmtn

Posted
Posted
Excellent Point. In my books... these are definitely two positives.

 

I have no problem with tier pricing, which is what this 'non-refundable deposit' RCL pricing scheme is mostly about. The rolling over of the 'non-refundable deposit' is great for RCL's bottom line (capital in the bank). However, charging $100 pp if a cancellation occurs is IMHO outrageous. I realize this might be chump change to Suite occupants, but the rest of on the lower decks are being milked. What it means to me is that I will delay booking till the last minute, consider alternative lines with more flexible (and honest) pricing and be less likely to respond to RCL 'sale' pitches.

 

Lastly, lets remember that the average age of cruisers isnt getting any younger and many of us are therefore more vulnerable to health issues impacting our trips. And, I just priced priced a TA balcony, the difference between the lowest advertised price (non-refundable ) and the refundable was pushing $300 per couple.

 

A cruise isnt a car rental folks.

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olya1972

olya1972

Posted
Posted
I have no problem with tier pricing, which is what this 'non-refundable deposit' RCL pricing scheme is mostly about. The rolling over of the 'non-refundable deposit' is great for RCL's bottom line (capital in the bank). However, charging $100 pp if a cancellation occurs is IMHO outrageous. I realize this might be chump change to Suite occupants, but the rest of on the lower decks are being milked. What it means to me is that I will delay booking till the last minute, consider alternative lines with more flexible (and honest) pricing and be less likely to respond to RCL 'sale' pitches.

 

Lastly, lets remember that the average age of cruisers isnt getting any younger and many of us are therefore more vulnerable to health issues impacting our trips. And, I just priced priced a TA balcony, the difference between the lowest advertised price (non-refundable ) and the refundable was pushing $300 per couple.

 

A cruise isnt a car rental folks.

Thank you. I found it shocking that any consumer would cheer an unrefundable deposit on any product they are about to purchase.

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olya1972

olya1972

Posted
Posted
I have no problem with tier pricing, which is what this 'non-refundable deposit' RCL pricing scheme is mostly about. The rolling over of the 'non-refundable deposit' is great for RCL's bottom line (capital in the bank). However, charging $100 pp if a cancellation occurs is IMHO outrageous. I realize this might be chump change to Suite occupants, but the rest of on the lower decks are being milked. What it means to me is that I will delay booking till the last minute, consider alternative lines with more flexible (and honest) pricing and be less likely to respond to RCL 'sale' pitches.

 

Lastly, lets remember that the average age of cruisers isnt getting any younger and many of us are therefore more vulnerable to health issues impacting our trips. And, I just priced priced a TA balcony, the difference between the lowest advertised price (non-refundable ) and the refundable was pushing $300 per couple.

 

A cruise isnt a car rental folks.

Thank you. I found it shocking that any consumer would cheer an unrefundable deposit on any product they are about to purchase. I, like many others, only book cruises I am intending to sail on, however I don't want any company to hold me hostage. RCCL isn't the only one doing it on the market. Last cruise with HAL was booked on the same terms.

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FLSteve11

FLSteve11

Posted
Posted
I have no problem with tier pricing, which is what this 'non-refundable deposit' RCL pricing scheme is mostly about. The rolling over of the 'non-refundable deposit' is great for RCL's bottom line (capital in the bank). However, charging $100 pp if a cancellation occurs is IMHO outrageous. I realize this might be chump change to Suite occupants, but the rest of on the lower decks are being milked. What it means to me is that I will delay booking till the last minute, consider alternative lines with more flexible (and honest) pricing and be less likely to respond to RCL 'sale' pitches.

 

 

 

Lastly, lets remember that the average age of cruisers isnt getting any younger and many of us are therefore more vulnerable to health issues impacting our trips. And, I just priced priced a TA balcony, the difference between the lowest advertised price (non-refundable ) and the refundable was pushing $300 per couple.

 

 

 

A cruise isnt a car rental folks.

 

 

 

Would it be better if it was straight non refundable then, Instead of a fee to change? I'm fine so long as it's a true discount, in the long run I'll be better off.

 

I would bet the average age of a cruiser on RCCL is younger then it was 10-15 years ago actually. There are more younger people cruising then there used to be.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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FLSteve11

FLSteve11

Posted
Posted
Thank you. I found it shocking that any consumer would cheer an unrefundable deposit on any product they are about to purchase. I, like many others, only book cruises I am intending to sail on, however I don't want any company to hold me hostage. RCCL isn't the only one doing it on the market. Last cruise with HAL was booked on the same terms.

 

 

 

Carnivals early saver rate is basically the same thing as well. This is likely to be done more in the industry

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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legaljen1969

legaljen1969

Posted
Posted

I guess now that they have eliminated some of the categories of drink packages, there is only one package that includes alcoholic beverages- but it also includes all of the non-alcoholic specialty drinks too. I was under the impression that the only package offered that included alcoholic beverages was what used to be the "Ultimate" beverage package.

I am not a big fan of the specialty coffee drinks so having that did not appeal to me. The deluxe was my sweet spot because I enjoy liquor drinks- rum drinks, vodka drinks. My husband is pretty much beer and wine only so he purchased that level of package. I can't even remember what it was called. Select, maybe? There was no "danger" to the cruise line of us "sharing" the package. We were both willing to pay for a package, but felt no need to pay for more than we used.

 

We won't ever be "suite" cruisers so whether it is non-refundable or not does not change our decisions. I do understand why this is annoying, but it's so common in the travel industry at large that it is a little odd to me how "shocked" people seem. Non-refundable flights are cheaper than refundable flights. Hotels offer non-refundable room rates at much lower than rooms that can be cancelled. Why shouldn't cruise lines adopt a similar business model? You can either pay the lower rate and give the cruise line your money and make a commitment or you can pay for the flexibility to change your mind. No different than most other travel entities.

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squadron

squadron

Posted
Posted
Also added lifeguards to the pools, apparently not yet fleetwide.

 

A friend told me he could no longer book a single in a cabin designed for three or more passengers (pullman or sofa bed). I have not seen this new policy discussed here. Any confirmations?

 

Can't remember which ones but doing a "dummy booking" some cabins have been unavailable for solo - also guarantee rooms. Doesn't "unset" me .

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boxermom711

boxermom711

Posted
Posted
I was wondering about that.... I was on Oasis in July of last year when they were "according to our server" rolling out a new menu..... Of the 6 or so cruises I have ever taken it was the absolute worst food ever. The only example that I have off the top of my head was a very specific dessert. On the Oasis they have TV's advertising the menu items (and maybe other things) Anyway, early in the cruise I noticed Beignets on the TV near our table. They looked fantastic and I couldn't wait for them to show up on a menu. After several days of "meh" food in main dining room the Beignets showed up on the dessert menu. Now, to be clear, I was already very disappointed in the food for that trip but I was ready to forgive and forget. However, when the beignets showed up.... all I could do was laugh. It was truly unbelievable! Instead of nice puffy rectangle beignets dusted in powdered sugar they literally look like french toast sticks you give to 2 year olds. They were awful.

 

The food was bad enough that I went ahead and added the 5 night dining package to our Liberty of the Seas cruise in October of last year just to avoid the main dining room as much as possible. On the Liberty we did end up eating in the main dining room a couple of time and it was fantastic.

My daughters are currently on the Liberty (with their grandparents) and their food reports are that the food is great.

 

So count me as one who's probably glad the Oasis menu hasn't spread across the fleet.

 

(Too many typos this morning - sorry)

 

 

 

We were on Liberty in April & the food was fantastic.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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JustBCruz

JustBCruz

Posted
Posted
I agree. We asked Royal to do something about the cabin hogs. They did, we wished they would have applied it do JS as well.

 

Room Service Charge does not affect us.

 

Campaigning for Status Levels set by dollars spent. Includes fares (cabins), speciality dinning, Chefs Table, Spa Treatments, wine tasting, beer tasting, ship tours, galley lunches, casino, and Royal Excursions.

 

Just booked a JS on Anthem for next year and we had the option of a nonrefundable deposit and get a lower price and some OBC or get a refundable deposit and pay $300 more plus no $100 OBC. Went with the nonrefundable option. There is some ability to change but it will cost $100 per person.

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